Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!panews!slo.awdpa.ibm.com!jsalter From: jsalter@ibmpa.awdpa.ibm.com Newsgroups: comp.unix.aix Subject: Re: Help catching floating point exceptions Message-ID: <1991Jun6.033716.10920@ibmpa.awdpa.ibm.com> Date: 6 Jun 91 03:37:16 GMT References: <1991May27.213751.24223@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> < <91149.150333AER7101@TECHNION.BITNET>> <1991May31.071822.9206@marlin.jcu.edu.au> <1991Jun5.030043.3520@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> Sender: news@ibmpa.awdpa.ibm.com (News Master) Reply-To: jsalter@slo.awdpa.ibm.com (Jim Salter) Organization: IBM PSP Development, Palo Alto, CA Lines: 34 In article <1991Jun5.030043.3520@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> beddini@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Robert A Beddini) writes: > requested info on this from IBM a year ago, and voiced my opinions about >the lack of FPP traps at that time to our local IBM tech rep. He, in turn, >requested further info internally. The response at that time was along the >lines of "here's the way the FPP can be checked,... why do you need to trap?" He didn't talk to the right person. We knew before release that IEEE-754 exception handling and trapping was necessary to truly make it in the marketplace. >We eventually purchased a 530 and are pleased with its speed on *PRODUCTION* >calculations. However it is still not being used for major code development, >and its use in this capacity will be limited until IBM recognizes the need >for user conveniences (necessities) such as FPP traps as a compiler >options/defaults. We've recognized this need. We recognized this before release, as noted above, but because of time-to-market pressures, we were not able to make this functionality available. If you'll notice, the and and header files in AIXv3 all point to the fact that we knew exception handling and trapping was important. >It is regretable that the subject of the need for FPP traps continues to >be discussed at length without IBM recognizing that this capability should >be a priority. This is false. We've recognized it, and are working hard to implement it. The file proves we recognized the need a long time ago. The implementation, of course, is not trivial. But, it should be available in the next major AIX release. jim/jsalter IBM PSP, Palo Alto T465/(415)855-4427 VNET: JSALTER at AUSVMQ Internet: jsalter@slo.awdpa.ibm.com UUCP: ..!uunet!ibmsupt!jsalter "IBM part #23521, aka Lt. Commander Data" The stuff above is on my own.